Paul White (American football)

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1921–1974)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Paul White

| number = 42

| position = Halfback
Defensive back

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|11|13|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Wadley, Georgia, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|6|3|1921|11|13}}

| death_place = Duluth, Georgia, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 183

| college = Michigan

| draftyear = 1944

| draftround = 11

| draftpick = 101

| pastteams =

• Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1947}})

| statlabel1 = Rushing yards

| statvalue1 = 85

| statlabel2 = Rushing average

| statvalue2 = 3.9

| statlabel3 = Receptions

| statvalue3 = 2

| statlabel4 = Receiving yards

| statvalue4 = 55

| statlabel5 = Total touchdowns

| statvalue5 = 1

| pfr = WhitPa20

}}

Paul Grover White (November 13, 1921 – June 3, 1974) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a halfback for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1941,{{cite web|title=1941 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1941fbt.htm|access-date=2010-01-01}} 1942,{{cite web|title=1942 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1942fbt.htm|access-date=2010-01-01}} 1943,{{cite web|title=1943 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1943fbt.htm|access-date=2010-01-01}} and 1946{{cite web|title=1946 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1946fbt.htm|access-date=2010-01-01}} — missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons due to military service. He served as the captain of the 1943 Michigan team that compiled a record of 8–1 (6–0 Big Ten) and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll.{{cite news|title=Named Michigan Captain|newspaper=The Sun (Baltimore)|date=December 2, 1942|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1780658842.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+02%2C+1942&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Named+Michigan+Captain&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131215022/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1780658842.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+02,+1942&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Named+Michigan+Captain&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013}} In 1944, he received Michigan's Big Ten Medal of Honor as the who had best demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and athletics.{{cite news|title=Michigan's All-Time Big Ten Medal of Honor Recipients|publisher=mgoblue.com|url=http://www.mgoblue.com/trads/medal-of-honor.html|access-date=2012-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806190245/http://www.mgoblue.com/trads/medal-of-honor.html|archive-date=2010-08-06|url-status=dead}} He also played professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1947. He played in 11 games for the Steelers, gaining 240 all-purpose yards and scoring one touchdown. His longest run in the NFL was good for a 52-yard gain.{{cite web|title=Paul White profile|publisher=Pro Football Reference|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WhitPa20.htm|access-date=2010-01-01}} In 1949, he served as the backfield coach at Hillsdale College. In March 1950, he was hired as the backfield coach at the University of Connecticut.{{cite news|title=White in Connecticut Post|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/03/05/archives/white-in-connecticut-post.html}}